Mail bag or pouch.



No. 630,694. Patented Aug. 8, 1899. D. R. HEBING.

MAIL BAG 0B POUCH.

gApplication filed May 8, 1899.!

no Model.)

UNITED v. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE. 1

DANIEL ROBY I-IERING, OF SYKESVILLE, MARYLAND.

MAIL BAG QR POUCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters ?Patent No. 630,694,0lated August8, 18 99.

Application filed May 8, 1899. Serial No. 716,542. 7(N0 model.) i i 10all whom it mttyco nccrn: I

Be it known that I, DANIEL ROBY HERING,

useful Improvements in Mail Bags or Pouches;

and I do hereby. declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the in-:' vention, such aswill enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

pouches, and more particularly to new and improved means for closingorlocking the I 5 open or month ,end of such bags or pouches. I

It is the prime object of the invention to provide a bag that can bereadily and quickly opened or closed by parties in authority, but

which will at the same time be amply safev and secure from entryby'unscrupulous per-- It is a further object of the invention to providesimple and improved fastening means whereby access maybe had to theinterior of. 2 5 the bag by parties in'authority without cut ting orslitting the bag itself in case the lock{ should fail to work at theproper time.

and then more definitely pointed out in the claims which conclude andform a part of this specification.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my 5 invention, Figure 1 is a sideView of a portion of a mail-bag constructed in accordance with myinvention, said bag being shown closed and locked. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the month endof the bag open. Fig.4 is a.

similar view showing the bag partially closed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a' modified arrangement oflocking means. Fig.

6 is a view of alocking-pin to be used in con-- 5 nection with the strapfastening means illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates thebag proper,

which is preferably made of some flexible ma 5o terialsuch as leather,canvas,or the like-so as to be readily folded at its upper or mouth,end. The said mouth end of the bag is proregistering slots 3, saidplates being secured to the bag by means of rivets and the position ofthe plates being such that the slots 3 willvbe horizontal and on a lineabove and parallel with the extreme upper edge of the bag, as clearlyshown in the drawings. At the top of the bag and intermediate the sidesthereof is a substantially triangular-shaped vided at each side with twoplates 2, having I plate 4, of considerable dimensions, and said 1plate. 'isprovided with a vertically disposed This invention relates tomail bags or;

slot 5, which registers with a slot 6 in a plate 7, secured to the frontface of the bag directly opposite the said triangular plate 4- Arrangeddirectly belowthe said plate 7 and upon the same face of the bag is aplate 8, carrying a staple 9, which I consider to be of novelconstruction and which constitutes one of the essential features of myinvention. This staple comprises the two outwardly-ex tending legs 10and connecting-bar 11, which is formed with an upward or rearwardextension 12 at the top to provide an overhanging locking-shoulder forthe slotted plates, as will presently appear,and the staple is furtherprovided at its lower portion with a small 5 eye 13 to receive thelocking means.

The invention comprises further novel features of construction andarrangements of 0 parts hereinafter to be referred to in detail Themanner of closing and locking the bag is as follows: The upper corner atone side is first folded over, so that the slotted plates at said cornerwill take over the staple, and then the opposite corner of the bag isfolded over in a similar manner, after which the central portion of thebagat the top, carrying the triangular plate 4: and adjacent plate 7, isfoldedover upon the previously-folded corners until the slots in thesaid plates 4 and 7 also take over the'staple, andwhen so folded it willbe seen that the upward or rearward extension 12 of the staple willoverhang all the said slotted plates at one end, and thus firmly holdthem in position, after which the hasp of a padlock 1e will be passedthrough the eye13 in the staple, which willthereby hold the lower endsof the plates securely in as this plate not. only formsa rigid covering.for the folded mouth edges of the bag to pre-' vent tampering with suchedges, but also 'place, and thus effect a tight and secure clos IOOgreatly facilitates the operation of folding over the opposite cornersof the bag, for the converging sides 15 of said plate are on a line withand indicate the point where the said corners are to be folded. I alsoconsider the rearward or upward extension 12 on the staple as beingimportant, since it acts in conjunction with the lock to firmly hold theslotted plates and confined corners or folds of the bag securely inplace.

Instead of inserting a hasp-lock through the staple to lock the bag Imay employ the strap arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.This arrangement will be preferable in some instances, since it bettermeets the requirements of the post-olfice officials in cases where it isdesired to provide means for opening the bag without cutting orslittingthe same should the lock for any reason become inoperative orrefuse to yield to the action of the key when in the hands of the properpersons. In the said modified arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 Iprovide a strap 16, secured to the bag at a point 17 said strap beingprovided at its free end with an eye or ring 18, through which the haspof a lock 19 is passed. The said strap 16 is further provided near itsfree end with a stoplug or ball 20 to limit the movement of the strapthrough the eye of the staple, so that there will be but a short sectionof strap between the said stoplug 20 and eye or ring l8,thus materiallylimiting the opening movement of the folded-over portions of the bag. Itwill now be understood that should the lock fail to open in response tothe action of the key the ofiicial vested with proper authority could bysimply severing the strap 16 gain access to the bag without slitting orcutting the same, which would be necessary if the hasp were attacheddirectly to the staple, as first explained.

If desired, I may attach a metal pin 21, such as shown in Fig. 6, to theend of the strap and provide an opening 22 in the end of the said pin toreceive the hasp of the look. In using this construction I will employthe stop-lug or button upon the strap, as heretofore described, toprevent the pin 21 from being drawn entirely through the eye in thestaple. The pin arrangement illustrated in Fig. 6 will afford a rigidattachment and will greatly facilitate the locking of the bag, as willbe obvious.

By the construction herein described I provide a mail-bag that can beeasily and quickly brought to its closed position and as readily lockedin a firm and secure manner.

I am aware that I am not the first to provide a mail-bag wherein asingle staple is employed to receive the opposite corners and top of thebag when the latter are folded over, and I do not seek to cover such anarrangement broadly. My invention is confined to the improvements onthis type of bag, as herein described, whereby a more secure and rigidlocking means is provided and wherein the bag is not unnecessarilyweakened by having the slots at the opposite sides thereof pass directlythrough the material of which the bag is formed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-bag havingslotted portions at the upper opposite cornersthereof the slots of which are arranged to register, a slot in the upperrear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in theopposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front face ofthe bag in position to receive the said slotted portions of the bag whenfolded as described, and an extension on the said staple arranged tooverhang the said folded portions, substantially as described.

2. A mail-bag having slotted portions at the upper opposite cornersthereof the slots of which are arranged to register when the bag isfolded as described, a triangular-shaped plate secured to the rear faceof the bag at the upper central portion, the edge Walls of said platelying parallel with and indicating the folding-lines for the upperfoldable portions of the bag, the said plate being provided with a slot,a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, astaple secured to the said front face of the bag at a point below thetop and in position to receive the said slotted portions thereof whenthe month end of the bag is folded as described, and an extension onthestaple arranged to overhang the said triangular plate to retain thefolded portions of the bag in position, substantially as described.

3. A mail-bag having its month end provided upon opposite sides with twopairs of slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, aslotted plate secured to the upper rear face of the bag at the center, asimilar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staplesecured to the front of the bag at a point below the top and in aposition to receive the said slotted plates when the month end of thebag is folded over as described, and a rearward extension on the saidstaple adapted to overhang the said slotted plates.

4. A mail-bag having its month end provided upon opposite sides with twopairs of slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, aslotted plate secured to the upper rear face of the bag at the center, asimilar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staplesecured to the front of the bag at a point below the top and in aposition to receive the said slotted plates when the mouth end of thebag is folded as described, a small lock-opening or eye in the lowerpart of the staple, and a rearward extension at the upper part of thestaple adapted to overhang the said-slotted plates.

5. Amail-bag having slotted portions at the opposite upper cornersthereof, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted platesecured to the upper rear face of the bag at the middle, a similarregistering-"slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staplesecured to the front face of the bag in a position to receive the saidslotted portions of the bag when folded as described, a strap secured atone end to the bag, and having its opposite end provided with an openingor holder for a look, and a stop-lug or button near the free end of thestrap, said strap being arranged to be passed through an eye in thestaple, substantially as described.

6. A mail-bag having slotted portions at the upper opposite cornersthereof and additional slots in the front and rear faces respectively atthe upper central portion of the bag, all of said slots being arrangedto register when the mouth end of the bag is folded as described, astaple secured to the front face of the bag in position to receive thesaid slotted portions, a strap secured at one end to the bag and havingits opposite end provided with means to receive a lock, and a stop-lugor button near the free end of the strap, said strap being arranged topass through an eye in the staple and the said stop-lug or button actingupon the staple to limit the passage of the strap therethrough,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' DANIEL ROBY HERING. Witnesses:

LoUIs N. GETZ, O. A. SPURRIER.

